THIEVES took off with a 30-ton haul of rail line in an overnight raid on a depot.

The brazen crooks are believed to have loaded the metal, worth £5000, on to the back of an articulated lorry.

The theft happened at Aberdeen’s Kittybrewster Retail Park between 4am and 5am on Tuesday.

PC Ashley Forbes, of British Transport Police, said: “A lorry was seen driving off on Bedford Road and Powis Place, which, even at this time of the morning, is a busy route in and out of the city centre.

“I am appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time, particularly pedestrians or taxi drivers, and who may have noticed someone acting suspiciously to contact the British Transport Police.”

Officers have been trawling CCTV footage and carrying out door-to-door inquiries in the area.

The theft came just weeks after Scotland’s biggest rail cable theft, which happened over three days in July in the Grampian area.

It caused chaos, bringing dozens of journeys to a halt across a main route in Aberdeenshire.

No one has yet been arrested in connection with the cable thefts.

Anyone with information on either of the crimes can contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or by texting 61016.